


How to Propose to Your Boyfriend (Space Edition)

by ptw30



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Blades of Marmora, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Families of Choice, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 04:57:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9584543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ptw30/pseuds/ptw30
Summary: Lance has to ask Shiro the second-most important question of his entire life, and he won’t take no for answer. (And Keith puts a wrench in the whole thing.)





	

Shiro’s spit-take cleared half-way across the kitchen. 

It was quite an impressive feat, and on any other day, Lance probably would have made some snide comment about it. But when Shiro whirled, nunvill dribbling down his chin and onto his vest, Lance sent him a vulnerable, questioning gaze, though his eyes sparkled with just a hint of defiance. 

_Go ahead,_ they challenged. _Tell me no._

“Wha-Wha-Wha- _Why?_ ” Shiro winced at his sudden loss of brain function but quickly rebounded. “Why would you ask me?”

Lance shoved his hands inside his jeans pockets and hunched his muscular shoulders, though his lively eyes never lost their vibrancy. Not for the first time, Shiro was reminded his teammates had long grown up. They were no longer the scrawny, greenhorn cadets who had saved him on a whim almost six years ago. Instead, the Paladins of Voltron were battle-tested warriors, talented but trained, in control of their abilities and confident in their bonds with the lions. 

Yet when Shiro looked at Lance, all he saw he was the rookie who used to flirt with random women at the space ports and boast about his own talents without the skills to back them up. He still saw the teenage cadet who barely reached his chin and the hopeful eyes that wanted nothing more than to belong on a team of extraordinary individuals. 

But Lance was always one of them. Brash, loud, and overconfident – yes, and Shiro thanked any and all powers that Lance never lost that good nature – the Blue Paladin revealed himself to be a worthy diplomat, a master sharpshooter, and a reliable fighter. While he was still brash, loud, and overconfident, he worked to hone all that raw talent into expertise and prove himself to be the perfect complement to the Blue Lion’s fierce loyalty and warm disposition. 

Shiro could not have been more proud or more grateful to have Lance on the team, but there was some times that Lance still tried his patience or dumbfounded Shiro utterly. 

Today was one of those days.

“Shiro, my family is old-fashioned,” Lance began, his expression darkening with that fierce reminiscence that came whenever Lance thought about Earth. “Like, not old, _old_ -fashioned, but old-fashioned enough. My mom asked my dad’s family. She brought them arroz con pollo and boliche and tamales, and she explained all the reasons why and how she would take care of my dad. And Uncle Ermano asked Uncle William’s family, and – ”

Shiro dumped the rest of his drink down the sink. “And you’re asking _me_ because…?”

“Because you’re Keith’s brother,” Lance spat, disbelief coloring his voice, like he couldn’t believe he had to explain this. “I can’t ask his mom. Who knows where the Blades have her stationed now? And his dad is such a jerkface, y’know? So that leaves you.”

Okay. Yeah. That made sense, sure. Shiro sent a mental memo to his garrison self that when he found Keith, abandoned and alone, living in a dilapidated cabin on the outskirts of the base and brought him back for enrollment – that one day he would have an extremely awkward conversation with Keith’s partner about their future together. 

He did not sign up for this. It was bad enough he had to give both Keith _and_ Lance the safe sex talk. At least Allura and Coran took care of that with Pidge and Hunk. 

Wiping his face with his Galra hand, Shiro let out a prolonged sigh. Before he could say anything else, Lance interjected in a rushed, breathless tone that revealed just how anxious he felt. “Please, Shiro. I need to do this. When we get back to Earth, my mom will totally ask Keith about this, and if I didn’t do it right, she’ll never forgive me.” 

“But – But it’s not up to me,” Shiro replied, exasperated. “I don’t have any say in your and Keith’s – ”

“Please?” Lance asked again, those desperate eyes tearing down all Shiro’s defenses. “Please, Shiro. I know Allura went to Keith about this before she went through the Altean Courting Rituals with you.”

Shiro winced, physically and mentally. Those were the most uncomfortable three months of his life. Allura went to Keith for information and advice about “mate selection customs” on Earth. Keith, apparently, had been very little help since he hadn’t had a relationship back on Earth and had barely been of age for such activities. So Allura relied upon the ancient Altean traditions, which resulted in many compromising and rather embarrassing situations for Shiro. 

It began with Allura presenting him with the formal wear of Altean royalty – or rather the dress of their servants, which had marked him more or less as her concubine. 

“But these are the only Altean clothes left in the castle in Shiro’s size, Coran,” Allura admonished, “and Alteans never had concubines. We valued our people and their freedom.” 

“Yes, well, that was not what those space pirates believed when we went to the Trade.”

Later, Allura surprised Shiro in the cockpit of the Black Lion with the Flower of Ambrosia, a hard-sought token only found in the most dangerous pits of a fire planet—

“It is a symbol of tenacity and devotion, and presented to a potential mate as proof of his or her lover’s desire for an everlasting bond.”

Originally, Shiro thought Allura’s intimate position on his lap had caused him quite the pleasant reaction, and they realized far too late that the flower’s scent served as an aphrodisiac for humans. That in and of itself hadn’t been the problem, per se, but when Lotor attacked and the team needed to rush into battle, there had been no time to let Allura and the flower out of the Black Lion. 

The entire team felt Shiro’s constant discomfort during the battle, and the feeling only exacerbated when they formed Voltron. Of course, Lance couldn’t help but snicker. 

“A little piqued there, aren’t you, Shiro? I bet you just want to _release_ all your pent up – ”

“Lance!”

Keith groaned, but in the small screen on Shiro’s control board, Hunk waved and greeted with a cheerful tone, “Hey, Allura! You might want to move a little to the left if you want to hide behind Shiro’s chair.”

“And perhaps put on his vest or…something,” Pidge added. 

But those confusing months had been worth it. The slight but unmistakable weight upon Shiro’s fourth finger proved that undeniable truth, and nothing beat waking up next to a breathless beauty with an enchanting smile and a fiery passion. (Of course, Keith could have helped a brother out by giving Shiro a heads up instead of leaving Shiro to wonder if Alteans lost their minds when they turned two and a half decapheebs, but he guessed Keith wanted to keep it a surprise – or watch Shiro blush.)

With that in mind, perhaps having Lance ask him for Keith’s hand in marriage wasn’t the most embarrassing situation Shiro endured. And if he admitted it only to himself, Shiro was touched and flattered that Lance came to him instead of Keith’s mother or father, even if the tradition was…well, outdated, to say the least. 

“All right,” Shiro finally relented, bracing himself with a sharp inhale. “What do I need to do?”

Lance perked up and seized Shiro’s wrist to lead him to the kitchen table. He pushed Shiro down to a chair and then retreated to the island, collecting a knapsack he’d brought with him. Taking a seat perpendicular to Shiro, Lance took his own reassuring breath and met Shiro’s questioning gaze with a determined stare. 

“First, you need to ask me what my intentions are with your brother.”

All right. That seemed easy enough, so Shiro did as was asked. 

Lance stood and bowed formally. “Shirogane Takashi-san, I request permission to ask your brother, Kogane Keith-kun, for his hand in marriage.”

Shiro blinked. Already Lance collected points for addressing Shiro with honorifics, and the request itself was pretty straight forward. Then all he had to do was grant permission, right…?

“Psst. You need to ask me to prove myself as a worthy partner,” Lance mumbled, still in mid-bow. 

Shiro felt like he’d been transported more than a thousand years into the past. “What makes you believe you are worthy of Keith’s hand in marriage, Lance?”

Now Lance beamed, falling back to his seat and opening his knapsack. He placed a glass carafe of milk upon the counter like a proud child presenting his work to a parent. “This is from Kaltenecker. I milked it myself, proving I can provide for Keith.”

Because that’s what people needed in the 22nd century – to know how to milk a cow, but Shiro appreciated the gesture...sort of. After all, Lance was a food leach. Hunk cooked most of their meals, but Keith and Shiro helped, making breakfast or dinner here and there. Pidge, Coran, and Allura were banned from the kitchen for various reasons, and Lance generally wandered in just before food hit the table, not ever peeling at least one potato. Hm. Maybe Shiro’d pull the Blue Paladin along for his and Keith’s cooking exploits from now on. 

Lance continued his presentation by placing his bayard upon the table, eyes burning into Shiro’s with a seriousness he only reserved for battle and video games. “This is my bayard, which I have mastered and proved time and time again I can use to protect Keith.”

That was true. Lance worked tirelessly on the training deck to perfect his shot and earned his position as team sharpshooter. One of their most used attacked plans consisted of Lance perched high above the battlefield, covering Keith’s back as the Red Paladin fought in close-quarter combat. During those trying teams, Lance also often made impolite and impure comments about said backside and his appreciation of it over the open com-link, which made Shiro shake his head. (Keith usually turned purple in hopes of hiding his furious blush, but that never worked.) 

As a last piece of evidence, Lance presented two rings made from what appeared to be silver, dotted with glowing green-blue crystals along the top rim. “I asked Coran to make these. The bands were molded from Altean metal, representing my heritage from way back when, and Luxite from the Blade of Marmora’s…well, blades, representing Keith’s. The blue-green crystals are from Balmera, a living being, so…it’s like, the two of us together create…life. Cuz, y’know, Keith is my life.”

The rings were elegant and beautiful, surely worthy emblems of Lance and Keith’s dynamic relationship. Shiro stared at them, mesmerized, and the words slipped from his parted lips before he even registered them. “But why? _Why_ do you want to marry Keith?”

Wait. Was he questioning Lance and the endearing admission he just divulged? But then again, Lance had explained why he could care for Keith, not why he did. 

Lance blinked, equally taken back, but his shoulders soothed a moment later. His cheeks tinged a bright pink, and his eyes softened with a tender glint of affection. “Because – his eyes are this rich, violet color that’s spectacled with silver dots. It’s like looking directly into endless space. And he’s part of a super-secret society, which is really cool and mysterious. He lets me in on all their hush-hush stuff, even though he’s not supposed to. And he’s warm – oh my God. _So_ warm. At night, when he’s lying across me, I don’t even need a blanket. Of course, I could do without the kicking, but – y’know…whatever. No one’s perfect. 

“He never gives up, which can be so frustrating when he thinks he’s right and he’s not. Oh, he’ll tell you he’s always right, but there are these times when he blinks, twice, and y’know he knows he’s wrong. But then we make up. He’ll do this this gruff compliment thing. He thinks it’s an apology; it’s not. But he’ll wear his hair in a ponytail because he knows I like it like that. And when we spar, he wears it that way cuz it distracts me. _I just want to lick the sweat off his neck,_ ” Lance whispered. 

Shiro did not need to know that, and now he was cursed to think of it every time the team trained. 

“He’s strong, so strong,” Lance continued in a deep, thoughtful tone. “He makes me want to be strong, too. But then there’re times he’s not, and he lets me see those. And that’s cool cuz it means he trusts me. And you know he doesn’t trust just anyone.”

Lance let out an exasperated laugh. “He’s totally not easy. He doesn’t say he loves me a lot, but he shows me in other ways. He does the little stuff right. Like he lets me call him _Keef,_ and he wears my hoodie sometimes, which is just – ” Lance was full-on blushing now. “And y’know, he puts up with me and all my faults.” 

Lance’s head hung for a moment, his shoulders bunching, but the Blue Paladin recovered before Shiro could disagree. “When I was younger, I – we – I mean, we still fight, but years ago, I was so jealous of him – and awed. He was just so awesome at everything, and he made it look so easy. And I thought I could never be that – and I can’t. But that’s okay because I shouldn’t be. I get to be me, and Keith was the one who showed me that. He…He loves _me._

“And I love him,” Lance finally confessed, his sapphire eyes shimmering with unshed tears, but he was self-assured, complete with a wide, gleaming smile. “I love him, Shiro, and I won’t say that I’ll never hurt him. But I’ll try really, really hard not to, and I like to think I make him…not as pissed as he used to be. I know he makes me happy, stubborn and all. And – And I’d like to keep trying, y’know, to make him less pissed off until the great lion roars for me – and even after.”

Shiro blinked, uncertain when the tears swelled in his eyes, but damn, Keith deserved Lance. After everything he’d been through – his tragic childhood, the lonely years he spent thinking Shiro was dead, fighting to learn about his Galra heritage and then being burdened with the truth of his father’s betrayal – Keith deserved someone who would cherish and love him absolutely and unconditionally. And Lance was that person. 

Likewise, Lance deserved Keith. Loyal, unwavering, devoted, Keith might have had a problem showing his emotions or voicing his fears, but once Keith accepted someone as family, he never let them go. He supported them completely, something Lance desperately needed. And Keith did make Lance happy. Shiro saw it in the way Keith indulged Lance with private smiles and genuine laughter. When the two weren’t arguing, then they were stealing kisses and other intimate caresses in the hallways. Before they dashed off toward their lions for battle, they always caught the other’s gaze as if to affirm they would fight life and limb and tail to get back to one another.

And they talked in other ways – or, well, Lance spoke with his words and Keith spoke with his actions, but they communicated in an intimate language that never ceased to amaze Shiro. 

It was cute, Shiro would call it, but it was more than that. It was inspiring and uplifting. It was _right._ Their combined strength as the right arm and right leg of Voltron fueled the team’s quintessence, adding to their already powerful spirit. Perhaps Hunk had a mighty heart and lifted up the team, but Lance and Keith’s fused souls burned in the very core. 

“Yes,” Shiro said without any pretense. 

Lance huffed and flicked out his hand. “I haven’t even asked you yet! You’re not supposed to give permission until I ask.”

“Then ask,” Shiro demanded. 

Lance settled himself, back straight, hands on his knees, red-rimmed eyes focused and determined as he stared directly into Shiro’s eyes without any hesitation. “Shirogane Takashi-san, may I ask your brother, Kogane Keith-kun, for his gloved hand in marriage?”

This still felt wrong on so many levels – he had no part in Keith’s choice of partner – but if Lance needed his permission to ask Keith, then he would grant it. 

“Yes.”

Lance beamed and leapt to his feet, letting out a howling cheer. “Yeah-ah! You better get ready, Mullet! I’m going to romance the pants off of you.”

“Lance!”

*^*^*

After Lance’s conversation with Shiro, the Galra went on the offensive. Weeks led to months of endless battles and constant struggles. The few times they managed to relax, the Paladins usually slept or relied upon mundane activities to stay sane. Something as complex and spectacular as the proposal Lance had explained to Shiro was not possible in the time allotted, so the status quo remained through these trying times. 

Until the Phelcor System. 

Coordinating with the Blade of Marmora and the Rebels of Pollux, the Paladins of Voltron planned a debilitating attack against Lotor’s fleet in the Phelcor System. It wouldn’t be the final blow to the Galra Empire, but if they managed to take out Lotor, they would be another step closer to ending the empire’s ten-thousand-year reign. It was dangerous and potentially deadly, requiring both Shiro and Keith to infiltrate battleships and work their way through the fleet, taking out the commanders and reprograming the sentries and cruises to attack Lotor’s own base. The strategy forced the lions to be separated until the very end of the battle, and it caused a ripple of uneasiness to spread through the team. 

The Paladins of Voltron were always stronger and more confident when they battle together. 

When the teams finally broke for the start of the mission, Keith stopped them from leaving the Castle of Lions’ bridge with one word. 

“Wait.”

Everyone turned toward him – the Paladins, Allura and Coran, Kolivan and Matt, and the Alteans, too – only for Keith to suck in a bracing inhale. His shoulders squared, and his eyes ignored everyone but Lance. Shiro watched as Lance blinked, taken back by the sudden harsh stare on the Red Paladin’s face. Keith was tense, serious in a way he always was before a battle, but he usually spared his lover of three years that intense of an expression. Keith appeared peeved or even condemning. But then his breath hitched and his entire body deflated, the seemingly impenetrable mask slipping off to reveal a tired and distraught and _young_ warrior. 

Keith took a step forward to grasp Lance’s hands in his own. “This battle will be more dangerous than any other we’ve fought before, including that time we took on Zarkon’s fleet. There’s a good chance we could die today. So…” He averted his gaze, gathering courage, and when he met Lance’s concerned look again, his eyes were soft and searching. “Marry me, okay? Now. Before we go.”

Lance blinked, muscles stiff, face blank and closed off. Red swept across his cheeks and brightened the tips of his ears. 

Keith squirmed, obviously not sure how to take Lance’s sudden silence – when was Lance ever silent about anything? – and rambled, “Well, I thought that Allura, being the pilot of the Castle of Lions, is sort of like a ship captain. She could marry us. It wouldn’t be anything official, of course, and it really doesn’t change anything between us. We’ve been together and living in the same quarters for years, but I just thought – I just wanted – ”

 _“Noooooooo,”_ Lance bellowed, collapsing to his knees, head hanging in defeat, though he refused to release Keith’s hands. 

Keith’s eyes widened, mortified and trembling, and Shiro’s heart went out to him. In front of their family, their friends, Keith’s mentor in the Blades, and the head of the Rebels, Lance rejected Keith’s heartfelt offer of eternity. 

“No…?” Keith murmured in a broken whisper. 

Shiro took a tentative step forward to console his brother – Lance was really saying no? – when Lance shot to his feet, animated and babbling. 

“Yes, yes, oh, thank God and Altean Ancients and quintessence and every sort of higher being in the universe, yes!” he shouted, letting go of Keith’s hands to seize his lover’s cheeks, holding Keith in a very intimate embrace. “But-But no way you beat me at this, too! No way! I had it all planned! I got permission from Shiro. I took cooking lessons from Hunk, so I could make those Arusian tubers you love so much. I scouted this planet in the Vexos System that looks just the desert where your shack was, and Red was going to light the candles and Blue was going to hold the rings, and – and I thought we could spar first because you love doing that. Then once you were all hot and sweaty and stuffed and y’know, excited cuz you totally get that way after all that – then I was going to get down on one knee and propose like a gentleman should. And you didn’t even get down on one knee!”

Keith cupped Lance’s hands over his cheeks, looking absolutely bewildered and concerned. “Did you – Do you want me on one knee?”

“That’s not the point! You just waltzed up and asked me like it’s easy. Like it’s not the most important decision of your – ”

“Of course it was easy,” Keith mumbled, expression so heartbreakingly open and vulnerable, it appeared as his soul was speaking to Lance. “It’s you. It’s the easiest decision I’ve ever had to make. I just want to be with you before – before we can’t be.”

Now Lance trembled, hands gripping Keith’s cheeks, tears slipping from his eyes, and he tugged his lover into his personal space. The searing embrace that followed was nothing less than a soul-devouring kiss, overwhelming Keith until he surrendered to Lance’s ruthless enthusiasm. 

Perhaps Lance was the only one who could bring Keith to his knees, not that Lance would ever let him fall. The Blue Paladin clutched his partner tightly, locking one arm about Keith’s waist, his opposite hand sliding along Keith’s neck to cradle his head. Keith’s hands splayed across Lance’s shimmering cheeks and kept him close. Their bodies fit. Their souls sang, and everyone who watched the public display of affection waded in the sudden rush of pure quintessence that swept through the bridge. It was alive and addictive, the energy swirling and blending until the souls of the Red and Blue Paladins became one. 

A tender smile twisted the edge of Shiro’s lips, and when warm, seeking fingers touched his palm, he followed his soon-to-be brother-in-law’s example and slid his hand along Allura’s jaw. She leaned into his touch and brought her lips to his. 

Yes, this, here, now was worth sacrificing everything. As Paladins of Voltron, they suffered the most. They fought on the front lines, willing and ready to give their lives for the cause. They were courageous and brave, but they were also human (mostly). They feared. Every time they formed Voltron, their souls connected, and their familial, even celestial bonds ran sure and true, deep within their very beings. 

Love? The word didn’t begin to describe what they felt for one another. Shiro shuttered to remember his time away, and he knew – he _felt_ – a similar raw ache in the other paladins from time to time. 

And Keith and Lance? They were paladins _and_ lovers. Shiro refused to think what would happen if either one of them didn’t make it back from this mission.

When the Paladins finally broke, Lance huffed, his warm breath rolling over Keith’s face as he pressed their forehead together. Dazed, mouth slack, Keith seemed barely there, though his hands never laxed from their steady grip upon Lance’s face. His thumbs traced the planes of his lover’s cheeks in absentminded but tender strokes. 

Lance waited until Keith’s eyes opened to him before he seized those lips again, sliding his tongue along the swollen flesh and nipping slightly. 

“No,” he rasped. 

Keith stiffened, as if physically hit. 

Lance laughed. He hardened his grip to keep Keith pressed firmly against his body. “I’m not letting you go that easy. I’ll only marry you after we survive this battle, so you better come back to me, babe.”

It was a challenge, a dare, just like everything else in their lives. 

And Keith always rose to it, gripping Lance by his armor and somehow pulling him even closer. “Well, _you_ better come back to _me._ ”

They refused to be out done, even in their own love for each other. 

_The End_


End file.
